My Yorkie's ossifying epulis was removed. How to stop it returning?

Hello. Was a biopsy done to confirm that this is an epulis? If yes, then unfortunately, there is nothing short of a more aggressive surgery being done to prevent a reoccurrence. Some of these growths have very deep "fingers" that literally grow down into the roots of the teeth. Removing the affected tooth may help, but unfortunately there are no simple remedies. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, you can ask your veterinarian if they are aware of any studies for Bella's condition. Some veterinary universities occasionally have treatment trials for very specific conditions. Unfortunately an epulis can commonly recur if large or aggressive. Sometimes curative surgery may require removal of a portion of the jaw. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2089&aid=3057

I'm sorry to hear about Stephanie's problem. To know for sure what the type of growth is and what to expect from it, a pathologist should look at a sample of the tissue from a surgical biopsy. Without this info, we are just guessing by its appearance, rate of growth and our experience. I am very concerned by the appearance of this mass and the rapid growth after it was initially removed. It is suggestive of a malignant mouth cancer. These are typically very aggressive and very difficult to treat. Your best bet is to ask your veterinarian to refer you to a veterinary oncologist. This is a specialized doctor that can give you the best treatment options. My guess is that they could combine radical surgical resection of the growth and the portion of the jaw that it is growing from. This may be preceded by or followed by radiation treatment. They can go over the prognosis and what exactly to expect, but your regular veterinarian is probably limited to the surgery that was already done. It can be repeated, but the outcome will be the same....rapid tumor re growth. Ask your veterinarian if there is a good specialist that you can see to find out all of your options and decide if treatment is feasible.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Unfortunately, Boxer's are predisposed to developing this type of mass in the mouth. These can be removed surgically but commonly come back. I typically recommend removing these if they are increasing in size or if they are causing a problem and the dog is biting down on the epulis when chewing food causing the mass to bleed. If you are interested in having these removed, I would discuss this with your veterinarian so that you can arrange for this to be done. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

That is a tough decision to make. I think that in order to answer your question fully you should consider speaking to a veterinary oncologist. Based on the progression of the tumor currently and the kind of tumor it is. I have seen some cases where doing major surgery has resulted in longevity of the pet; however, getting informed about your specific pets tumor will help you make this decision whether to just do palliative pain management for Brandy moving forward. I do hope that you can make an informed decision with Brandy soon. Best of luck and take care.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thanks for the pictures I see what you are worried about. Possible causes of the mass are: a benign over growth of gum tissue, an epulis, or cancerous growths. Some epulids are: Fibromatous, ossifying, and acanthomatous. Acanthomatous epuli, in particular, are highly invasive to the bone and are usually located on the front part of the lower jaw. It is sadly impossible to tell from just looking at the mass to say what it could be. I recommend you make an appointment with your Vet. Lucky will have to go under anesthesia, have dental X-rays taken of the area and the mass biopsied or removed, if able. I hope this helps! I wish Lucky the best!

This called epulid and it is usually a benign form of tumor that would require removal in case it get chewed or infected. To confirm it 100% a biopsy or (complete removal) can be performed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.